Airstrikes and Retaliation: Israel Strikes Near Damascus, Killing Six Syrian Soldiers

A new report from state media and a war monitor has confirmed that at least six Syrian soldiers were killed and three others wounded in an Israeli drone strike near the capital, Damascus. The attack took place on Tuesday, August 26, and is the latest in a series of Israeli military operations aimed at Syria.

The strikes hit a military outpost in the southern Damascus suburb of Kiswah. According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), the area is located along a key route connecting Damascus with the southern province of Sweida. SOHR’s report indicated that paramedics who arrived at the scene were also targeted by a subsequent strike, further escalating the situation.

While Israel’s military has not officially commented on the attack, the airstrikes fit a pattern of its actions in Syria. For years, Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on what it identifies as Iranian and Iran-backed military assets in Syria, particularly those belonging to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, Israel has intensified its military operations, expanding its presence in southern Syria and carrying out regular airstrikes to “capture weapons that Israel says could pose a threat.” A Syrian defense official, speaking to a news agency on condition of anonymity, stated that an “Israeli drone targeted one of the military buildings of the 44th division of the Syrian army” in the area.

In an official statement, Syria’s Foreign Ministry condemned the recent Israeli attacks as a “flagrant violation of the UN Charter” and a direct threat to regional peace and stability. The statement also noted a recent incursion by Israeli forces into a town in the Quneitra countryside, accusing them of arresting civilians and maintaining an illegal presence on Mount Hermon. These accusations have further soured already tense relations between the two countries, even as US-mediated talks are reportedly underway to de-escalate tensions in the region.

The continued strikes highlight the ongoing volatility in the Middle East, with Israel acting to protect its security interests and Syria accusing it of violating its sovereignty. As long as the two countries remain in a state of conflict, such attacks are likely to continue, further complicating the already fragile security landscape.